Bathurst 1000, 2017: What time does the race start?

This weekend all eyes will be on Bathurst, as supercar drivers take to Mount Panorama to conquer the mountain.

We’ve done the hard work for you with our all-inclusive, need-to-know guide ahead of the race, from broadcast times, to the weather forecast, to the top contenders, we have it all on this page ready for you.

The Western Advocate team are also on the ground in Bathurst this weekend and will bring you rolling coverage of the Top 10 shootout on Saturday and the full race on Sunday. Keep an eye on our special Bathurst 1000 feature page for continued article and photos over the weekend.

Are you at Bathurst this year for the race? Send your photos to lynn.rayner@fairfaxmedia.com.au and we will include them in our Insta gallery over the weekend.

Where to watch?

Race on Sunday will be broadcast both free-to-air television on Network 10 and payTV through Fox Sports.

Free-to-air channel 10

Friday: 12pm - 5pm

Saturday 11:30am - 6pm

Sunday 7:30am - 6pm

Note - you will not be able to stream Channel Ten's coverage of the Bathurst 1000 through the Tenplay website.

Fox Sports:

Friday: 7.30am - 5.30pm

Saturday: 8am - 6.30pm

Sunday: 7:15am - 6pm

You will need a current subscription to Foxtel, including the sports package.

Fox Sports dedicated Bathurst Channel is 506.

The Bathurst 1000 will start at 11.10am on Sunday, October 8.

2017 Leading contenders

Who will win the 2017 Bathurst 1000? Only 1000km and 161 laps of Mount Panorama on Sunday will give us the answer to that question, but we can take a look at the leading contenders for the 2016 race. Ed Jackson gives us a look at the men most likely to conquer Mount Panorama this year.

TEAM VORTEX: (Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards in car #888, Hoden Commodore VF). No driver pairing has more Bathurst wins than the combined tally of 10 for these two veteran drivers. Lowndes has endured a tough season so far with a third in the opening race of Tasmania his best race finish. He’s a Bathurst specialist, however, and can never be discounted from pulling off a win at Mount Panorama.

THE BOTTLE-O RACING TEAM: (Mark Winterbottom and Dean Canto in car #5, Ford Falcon FG-X). Ford veteran Winterbottom needs a good result at Mount Panorama to salvage a disappointing year for the 2013 Bathurst champion. Winterbottom comes to Bathurst sixth on the championship standings and without a race win all year. Long-time co-driver Canto is a steady hand.

SHELL V-POWER RACING: (Fabian Coulthard and Tony D’Alberto in car #12, Ford Falcon FG-X). New Zealander Coulthard’s most memorable Bathurst moment remains his terrifying high-speed crash on the opening lap of 2010 but he heads to Mount Panorama this year as a leading contender. He and experienced co-driver D’Alberto will be out to improve on fifth-placed finish at Sandown.

RED BULL HOLDEN RACING TEAM: (Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell in car #88, Holden Commodore VF). Champions in 2012, the Whincup-Dumbrell partnership is one of the most enduring and successful in the field. Sixth-placed finish at Sandown was solid but Red Bull Racing expects nothing less than a race win at Mount Panorama. Four-time winner Whincup will be hoping for a clean race after last year ended in a late crash which resulted in a 15-second penalty that cost him a podium finish.

RED BULL HOLDEN RACING TEAM: (Shane Van Gisbergen and Matthew Campbell in car #97, Holden Commodore VF). Holden ace Van Gisbergen’s championship defence hasn’t really got going this year but a maiden Bathurst crown would salvage his season.The Red Bull ace had his best finish at Mount Panorama last year and is sure to be a frontrunner again in 2017. Co-driver Matthew Campbell, 22, is unproven at this level and failed to finish in his Bathurst debut last year.

TEKNO WOODSTOCK RACING: (Will Davison and Jonathon Webb in car #19, Holden Commodore VF). Last year’s champions come to Mount Panorama in somewhat of a funk. Davison is off contract at season’s end and yet to secure his future while team owner and co-driverWebb was involved in a crash at Sandown which Todd Hazelwood was lucky to walk away from uninjured. Both will need a turnaround in fortunes to successfully defend their crown.

SHELL V-POWER RACING: (Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat in car #17, Ford Falcon FG-X). Championship leader Scott McLaughlin is reunited with Premat after the Frenchman nearly claimed last year’s Bathurst 1000 partnering Shane Van Gisbergen. The pair came second at Sandown 500 and with American billionaire Roger Penske’s big-race pedigree expect the DJRTeam Penske Falcon to be among the frontrunners.

MONSTER ENERGY RACING: (Cameron Waters and Richie Stanway in car #6, Ford Falcon FG-X). The surprise winners of the Sandown 500 will be under pressure to back it up at Mount Panorama.That win in Victoria was a first in Supercars for both drivers.Waters just missed a podium at Bathurst last year while Stanaway ran a creditable 12th in his Bathurst 1000 debut. Don’t discount them.

WILSON SECURITY RACING GRM: (Garth Tander and James Golding in car #33, Holden Commodore VF). VeteranTander remains a threat even if his Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore isn’t the fastest car in the field. Fourth place at Sandown shows the 40-year-old can still mix it with the front-runners when given the chance. Youngster Golding will be hoping for a better outing than his 2016 Bathurst debut where he and James Moffat failed to finish. An outside chance due to Tander factor.

SUPERCHEAP AUTO RACING: (Chaz Mostert and Steve Owen in car #55, Ford Falcon FG-X). Mostert has mixed memories of Bathurst, where he claimed a remarkable upset win with Paul Morris in 2014 before a crash in qualifying the next year left him with a broken leg and wrist.The Ford star is getting back to his best after those injuries and with experienced co-driver Owen by his side, will be a strong contender.

Supercars Championship drivers and their co-drivers posing for a photographs with their cars decorated in retro livery ahead of Retro Round at the Wilson Security Sandown 500, at Sandown Raceway in Springvale, Victoria, Thursday, September 14, 2017. The Sandown 500 kicks off the Pirtek Enduro Cup, which includes the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 8. (AAP Image/Edge Photographics